Illinois Veterans Grant is an educational grant program for people of Illinois who have served in the US Armed Forces. I know a lot of friends in Illinois state that is looking for a way to cover the cost of higher education to improve their education level. As you know, the tuition fee for a college education can put some strains on your financial condition.
Recent data shows that there is a significant number of veterans who are struggling to find a decent job after they are discharged from the Army. There are indeed several government programs that can help these veterans to get a job, but in some cases, the high competition leaves several people with no job at all.
Therefore, to increase the chance of employment, getting a degree is probably the best thing to do. The State of Illinois seems to have the same opinion, hence they are creating the Illinois Veterans Grant program (IVG) to help veterans get their degrees for an unbelievably affordable price.
According to the official VA of Illinois, the IVG is a grant program that can cover the full tuition and fees for any approved university or public college in the state of Illinois. This means that if you are approved for the IVG grant, you will be able to attend college education by paying for textbooks alone. The grant program is available for both undergraduate and graduate levels of education, and you will continue receiving the grant for four academic years. Below is the full information about the eligibility and how you can apply for the IVG program:
Illinois Veterans Grant Eligibility
- You are honorably discharged
- You have lived in the state for at least six months before the service and live in the state for at least six months after you are discharged.
- At least have completed one year of federal active duty service in the US Armed Forces (which may include the Armed Forces Reserve Army or the Illinois National Guard)
- The third requirements can be put aside if you have served in a foreign hostile country or you are discharged due to medical reasons happened during your service.
Apply for the IVG program
In order to see if you are eligible for the Illinois Veterans Grant program, you need to contact the Illinois Student Assistance Commission. After that, ask for the IVG application and complete the form as requested.
Last but not least, it is recommended that you submit the IVG application prior to the start of academic year. The application submission is only required once.
This is an excellent chance for any veterans living in Illinois to improve their lives. We always believe that education is the surest way to be successful in this current world. It’s a once in a million chance that you should take.
I hope you can now understand the nature of the program, the eligibility and the application process of the Illinois Veterans Grant program.
References:
- Illinois Student Assistance Commission – http://www.isac.org/about-isac/contact.html
- Image: miketryon.org
